Wanted
by ParasiticAlacrity
Summary: Sure, Ash has badges, symbols, and Pokemon. That won't help him when it comes to love. In the pursuit of love, he enters a situation that every sixteen year old boy faces. His girlfriend is pregnant. And he can only think one thing; I'm screwed.
1. desire

Frontier Champion. Few have the title, and I am one of them. I finished my latest goal, and I was on my way back to Pallet from Cinnabar Island. Max and May went back to their home in Hoenn, while Brocko and I were staying in Kanto. I looked up at my friend. He was on the phone towards the end of the boat. Brock's son, Ethan, turned one a couple months back. He went home to see Ethan and his wife, Solidad, before I got my final Frontier Symbol. I could tell he was on the phone with Solidad. He was listening intently, smiling softly. I sighed.

I didn't even have a girlfriend. All those badges, Pokemon, and symbols meant nothing in my love life. Suddenly, an image of one of my friends came into my head. Misty. I hadn't seen her in a long time. The ocean was her playground, I remembered as I looked down into the clear blue water, schools of newly migrated Finneon swimming about. I felt weird thinking about her, because she probably forgot about me, anyway. The salt-stained air stung my eyes ever so slightly as I looked ahead to Pallet Town.

**-**

The embrace felt like nothing. She thought it would be amazing, having someone to care about her, to hug her so tight, to kiss her like she meant the world to them. Don't get her wrong – she knew she did mean the world to him. But she didn't feel as if she felt the same way. It had been six weeks and thirteen make-outs, and she still wasn't satisfied with her agreement to the relationship.

He pulled away reluctantly when his watch began to beep. "I'm sorry, Misty," the boy said, looking her in the eye. "The loser is gonna be here soon. I have to start heading back over to Pallet," Misty's pupils widened. _It couldn't be._

"A-Ash?" She asked him delicately.

"Don't get any ideas, Princess," he said sarcastically, sending out his Fearow.

"He's back from challenging the Battle Frontier, isn't he, Gary?" Misty stood up from the sand.

"Surprisingly he won," Gary shrugged, setting himself on top of the bird.

"O-oh. Tell him I said hi, okay?" She asked her boyfriend as he flew away. Misty knew that Gary wouldn't tell him. She sighed and began walking back up the beach, her red Converse in hand.

She smiled. Ash could never keep anything to himself. Anytime he would have a thought, he would just say it out loud, no matter what the circumstances. He was so loud, too. Pikachu and him were the perfect match; loud, reckless, and hungry. Ash was always hungry. Misty looked up at the setting sky, taking a deep breath of salty air.

To imagine that one day they might see each other again wasn't insane, but the thought of them ever being together was. Gary was such a control freak. Even when he was training in Sinnoh, he would call every night to see what she was doing all day. It began to drag on. He would see her a couple times a week, though, coming back from Sinnoh. It made Misty wonder where he was getting the money from to keep taking the ferries.

But to see Ash like that again? _I would kill. _

Bare foot, she walked into Cerulean City head-on. She couldn't get the thought of Ash out of her head, and that she knew that he was only miles away. People stared at her. Misty ignored them and walked forward. She took a pair of keys out of her pocket. Suddenly, she froze, as if remembering something, and looked up. Her gym was right in front of her. She remembered battling Ash there. She ran up to the front doors, jammed the key into the lock, and flung herself inside.

She turned corners sharply, almost slipping many times. She ran up two flights of stairs and into another hall. All the way at the end was a door. Misty put a hand on it, dropping the shoes. The door was the only one of its kind. The handle was a simple bronze knob, touched by only her deceased parents and herself. Slowly, Misty turned the knob and pulled the door toward her. A breeze of ancient air flew into her face, making her cough.

A staircase of only six steep steps revealed itself. She walked up them and found herself in an attic-like enclosure. The air was hot and humid, but Misty didn't realize. She was just admiring the old setup her mom had of the private room. There was a bay window, looking over the whole city and the beach that Gary and her were just occupying. She put her hand on the warm glass and looked at the dark room again. A king-sized bed was against the wall, a desk opposite it. The bed had two sheets and a duvet. The pale green duvet was accompanied by the pale green pillows. The head board and foot board was made of polished maple wood. Same as the desk and chair.

That desk was what was most important to Misty. She walked slowly over to it, lifting a picture frame to her face. It was of Ash and her. They were the best of friends. Brock, Ash, and Misty. She heard from Ash's mom that Brock had a kid. She felt so out of the loop. She had to come back to the gym when her sisters were abandoning it, but now she feels as if she should've just left it. Misty threw her dream of traveling the world as a trainer away for being a gym leader instead. A tear fell onto the dusty frame. She set it back on the desk. She walked back down the stairs. She shut the door.

**-**

I couldn't go to Sinnoh just yet. There was that emptiness inside of me that I just couldn't handle anymore. As I stood at the gate of Cerulean City, I had to gather the courage for me to continue. I clenched my fists and lifted my head. I was facing the town I had once conquered with flying colors. Now comes a different challenge, and I wasn't sure that was something Pikachu could help with. I smiled softly at Pikachu. She was standing next to me, wondering why I was returning to Cerulean. I took a deep breath and began into the city, Pikachu hopping onto my shoulder.

"Pika?" _What's so important here?_

"Misty. I have to tell her, Pikachu."

"Pikaaa chu, pi." _Don't embarrass yourself, please._

"Have a little faith in me, will you?" I looked at the Pokemon, but she only shrugged in return. I sighed and continued my trek to the gym straight ahead.

I could see people point me out from the sidewalks. I swallowed and hope they were saying good things, and not bad. Pikachu perked her ears up and jumped off my shoulder, and began to run down the street and around the corner to the gym. I chased after her.

"Pikachu!" I yelled, panting, finally catching up to her when we reached the doors. It said it was closed. Pikachu's ears fell down in disappointment, but I opened the door with ease. I looked down at my yellow mouse. "That's Misty for you."

I walked inside. It was now morning, and usually Misty was sleeping. She lived down the street, and the doors were open, so that means she was probably taking a swim. There must've been something wrong. Pikachu and I ran down the hall towards the main doors. The only noise was splashing. _So she is here._

The doors to the pool were glass. I could see Misty in a new-ish looking bathing suit, jumping from the high dive. She looked so tranquil and serene as she did those flips in the air, but landing straight into the water. I smiled softly. Her hair was still in that trademark side-pony. Some things just never change. The room had no Pokemon in it, I realized as Misty began crawling up the tall ladder again. She once again did some crazy flips and landed in the water. When she returned to the surface, however, I was there to greet her.

"Hey, Misty," I smiled.

"A-Ash...?" She asked in bewilderment.

"Yeah. Long time no see, huh?" I said, looking around. She swam over to where I was standing, stared, and then went under water. Bubbles came up for about ten seconds, and then she reappeared. She rubbed her eyes to get the water out.

"Uh, yeah," she said, still surprised. She then realized that it was me, Ash Ketchum, her best friend, standing there in front of her. "But how? I thought you were going to go to Sinnoh. I mean, as soon as Gary told you about Sinnoh, I was sure you would want to go, too...-!"

"Gary? You've been talking to him lately?" Ash interrupted me, a worried look on his face.

"Well, uh, not really."

"Are you sure? Because it sounded like you talked to him recently, too. Maybe around the past few weeks?"

"Well, yeah, but..."

"And that thing on your neck...that's a...," I backed away. I shouldn't have came.

"A-a-ah!" Misty's face grew red almost immediately. "No it's not!" She denied the hickey, jumping out of the pool. "It's a, um, uh...I don't know..." She said, rubbing her neck. _Dammit, Gary. It had to have been last night, right? Jesus._

"So how long have you been going out?" I gave up and sat against the wall. Misty, defeated, grabbed a towel off the ground and sat next to me.

"A month and a half or so. He's so annoying, though. That and he's always on my case. He calls me from Sinnoh, 'Hey, Mist. Who, I mean, what did you do today?'" We laughed a little.

"But you really like him, huh?"

"I guess. Well, no," she said, shifting her feet. "I guess I don't. I thought I did, because he was cute. But when he hugs me or kisses me, it just doesn't feel like what I think it should feel like." She looked at me, almost as if for advice. I just stared at her.

"I really miss you, Misty," I said finally, never moving my eye contact.

"...I miss you too, Ash. A lot. But this gym," she said, looking around. Pikachu was trying to test the water, but she didn't want to fall in, "the gym just needs me, y'know?"

"Misty, come on. When was the last time you had a battle?"

"About two weeks ago."

"See? Ever since there has been Pokemon Contests, Pokemon training hasn't been as popular. You can come with me," I grabbed her hand and stared hard into her eyes.

"Ash...I'm sorry."

"Fine. It's okay. I'm going to be in town for another couple days, but I'm heading to Sinnoh as soon as Brock gets his fill of Ethan and Solidad." I stood up and began to walk away. "Come on, Pikachu," I called, not turning around. Pikachu looked up at me, then ran over to Misty. Misty pet her and then she jumped back onto my shoulder.

"Ash." Misty said softly, running after me. I turned around as she tackled me with a hug. "Please, just don't go."

She caught me by surprise and I could feel my muscles suddenly tense. I finally relaxed and hugged her back. Her hair smelt faintly of chlorine, the smell that seemed to come natural to Misty. I wanted to stay. I would have _killed_ to stay, but I knew that I wouldn't be able to accomplish my goal of becoming a Pokemon master without going to Sinnoh. I felt her tremble in my arms, and I didn't let go. I held her tighter. And at that very moment, the lust, the desire, the _want_ for me to have Misty for myself was greater then any other passion I had ever felt before.


	2. infatuation

I stayed the overnight at the Pokemon Center. I had an early morning, beginning at six. I knew I needed to call Brock. After getting myself together, I sat in the cold steel chair and lifted the red plastic phone to my ear. The phone didn't even ring once and Brock appeared on the screen, putting a toddler in front of his face. "Ash, look at my son!" He cried happily. I jumped from where I was sitting from the urgent sound in his voice. When my pulse returned to normal I sat back down. I studied the small child. He looked exactly like Brock. From his sand colored cargoes and green tee to the dark skin and messy hair. The only difference was that Ethan had beautiful eyes, just like Solidad.

"Aw," I smiled softly. Ethan waved, grinning toothily. I use that term loosely – he only had a couple teeth.

"Hi!" I could tell that was the only thing in his vocabulary.

"Hey, Ethan, can you go say hi to Mommy for me? I have to talk to Daddy for a couple of minutes," the child nodded as if he knew what I was talking about. He then wiggled out of Da – er, Brocko's grip and scurried into the unknown. Brock smiled as he watched his son go play, but then turned to me.

"Are you leaving early or something? I could meet you."

"N-no, that's not it. Not even close."

"Oh, well, is your mom sick? Can we not go?"

"No, nothing like that."

"Well instead of playing charades, how about you tell me?"

"Ah. Well, I, uh. I like Misty," I said quietly.

Brock stared at me, giving me a bad vibe. There was a drop-dead silence that seemed to last forever. I sat there, unsure of what to say or do. I could feel sweat form at the back of my neck.

"Are you telling me this or asking if I know?" Brock finally said, bluntly. I swallowed.

"Telling you," I thought it was obvious.

"Dude, are you _clueless_!?" He jumped up from his sit in disbelief. I forced myself further.

"What are you talking about?" I asked him calmly.

"You guys have been in love with each other for how many years now? It's been about six years, Ash. You _are_ sixteen, correct?"

"Y-yeah, but..."

"Okay, then. Ever since you guys met, you guys have been flirting nonstop!"

"Brock, chill. I may be in love with her, but she's not interested. At least not anymore...," I trailed off. Brock caught eye contact with me. He sat down again.

"What do you mean? You've seen her lately?"

"Actually, yeah. Last night. You'd never believe it, Brocko...I still can't believe it..."

"What? She's married? Pregnant? Has a child?"

"No, no," _At least not yet. _"She's going out with Gary." I clenched my teeth and fought back tears.

"No way, Ash. Did she say anything? A hint, _anything_?"

"I don't know," I said, taking of my hat and rubbing the back of my head. "She hugged me and told me not to go. That was the end of our intimacy."

"Were there tears?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure."

"You're a piece of work, Ash!" I could hear a female's voice, Solidad's, shout from far away. I facepalmed. If it wasn't Brock saying it, it had to have been someone.

"You heard her yourself, Ash," Brock said shrugging. "Misty is just filling in the gap that you left. You weren't there, so she decided Gary may be the next best thing. Turns out she was wrong, and she wants you. _Dammit_, she wants you, Ash, _you_."

"What if you're wrong...?"

"I have a wife and son, don't I?"

"Yeah...," _Let's just pretend all those girls never happened, then..._

"Well, the misses is calling, Ash. Later," Brock was replaced with a blank screen. I sat there, thinking if Brock was right. _What if Misty does like me? Am I too oblivious to see her desperate cries?_

I hung up the phone, put my hat back on, grabbed my bag off the floor, and headed over to one of the couches were Pikachu was still asleep. I picked her up, cradled her in my arms, and walked out with automatic doors and into the town of new beginnings.

**-**

Misty slept at the gym that night. She came to in the private place, or as she referred to it, the bay room. Light was shining in through the window, making it warm. She rubbed her eyes, sat up, and noticed her clothes strewn over the desk chair. She remembered not wanting to return to her house that evening and decided to stay there instead. Misty grabbed her clothes and made her way down the hall and into the showers, where she changed into her bathing suit. It was a two-piece. A sky blue bikini. She grabbed a towel and made her way down the stairs.

She arrived at the pool, putting her hair up. When she looked up, I was there. Misty dropped the towel where she was standing and gaped. Pikachu had an inner tube and floaties on, and I was attempting to show Pikachu how to swim. I looked up to see Misty, completely stunned.

"Uh, hey, Misty," I said quietly, not quite knowing exactly what I wanted to say.

"A-Ash? What are you doing here? Even better, how are you here?" Misty looked more surprised then angry.

"The door was open, and I thought you were swimming. I thought, what the hell, I'll join her, but when you weren't here I decided to go in anyway, and then Pikachu kept looking at the water, so I felt bad and gave her all those things to help her swim, but now she is afraid, and you don't look to happy, either." _That was one hell of a run on sentence_, I thought to myself.

"I don't really care about that. I just thought you were kidding when you said you were going to be around for a couple more days."

"Well I'm here!"  
"Apparently," she smiled softly. She almost stepped into the pool, but stopped. "Are you hungry?"

I was so glad she asked. I hadn't eaten anything made by Brock in a couple of days, so I was starving. "_Yes_. Do you have anything?"

"Well, no. But there's this great restaurant in town that is really cheap but really good. Do you think you would want to go with me?" She asked.

"I would love to, Misty," I smiled, crawling out of the pool.

"Cool," she grinned, running out the doors. "I'll be right back, okay? I just have to change," she called after me.

I chuckled to myself as I began to deflate Pikachu's floats. Same old bubbly Misty. Pikachu looked at me as if she knew something was up. She didn't say anything, though. I pet her and began to walk out the door.

"Misty?" A voice came from in front of me. I looked up. _Gary. _"Oh, it's you, Ashy-boy," he teased.

"Go to hell, Gary."

"I'm sorry, _who_ ended up with the girl, again?"

"Me, apparently. We are about to go out to lunch. That is, if you don't mind."

"We'll see, kid. Here she comes now," Gary smirked as Misty came in. She wasn't wearing her denim shorts or suspenders, but some sort of gym leader uniform. She looked hot. "Hey, babe," Gary walked up to her, pecking her on the lips. She seemed surprised.

"G-Gary. Where did you come from?" Misty asked him uneasily.

"Sinnoh, of course. When I didn't see the loser there, I thought he might have been delayed." He gave me a look. I sneered in return.

"Oh, well, can we do this another time, please?" She asked politely.

"Why not now? We have every reason to," Gary began putting his arms around her, but Misty pushed him away. It pissed me off how he didn't care that he was making her uncomfortable. He just wanted to show off to me.

"And every reason not to," she spat. "I'm going to hang out with Ash for a little now, okay? Piss off for just once." Misty grabbed my hand and began to pull me with her. I could feel my face get hot.

"But, Misty..."

"She said get lost, _loser_," I shot back at Gary, giving him the finger with my free hand. Pikachu followed us out the door. I didn't look back at Gary. I think it was because I was afraid to see what he would do. "Hey, uh, Misty?" I asked her, hoping she wouldn't snap.

"Yeah?"

"Before we leave, can I get changed? It's a little cold outside and I'm all wet and in shorts."

"...Ah, 'kay," she said sheepishly, letting go of my hand and rubbing the back of her head. Misty saw my stuff next to doors, probably wondering how she missed it. "Follow me. I'll show you where the showers are and where you can get changed." I followed her around the building. We reached the third floor. She pointed at the showers, and then gestured me to follow her further. She showed me the door at the end of the hall. "You can change in here. Your clothes will get all wet if you change in the showers," she smiled, walking away. Pikachu followed her. "I'll be kicking Gary out."

I chuckled and went into the showers.

Misty walked down the stairs, fuming. Pikachu realized and jumped on her shoulder.

"Pika?" _Gary?_

"Yeah. He disgusts me, Pikachu. Did you see him down there? Gary was acting like he owned me. And the hickey he gave me is _huge_!" She yelled, aggravated.

"Pi ka chu." _Break up with him._

"That's what I'm about to do," she said, walking towards the pool doors. Misty knew Gary would still be in there. She took a deep breath and opened the doors. Gary was sitting along the wall, head in his hands. Misty didn't give a crap. Gary looked up at her.

"I'm sorry, babe."

"Do I look like I care? You marked me without permission, but you're saying sorry about kissing me in front of my best friend? You don't get it, do you, Gary?"

"Will you explain? I can work on it, I promise."

"You promised me a lot of things. You promised me you wouldn't be a control freak, yet you're visiting from Sinnoh on a daily basis and showing off to my best friend!"

"Best friend? Misty, come on. It's so obvious you guys are in love with each other. I knew there wasn't anything between us," he said quietly, turning away.

"Gary, I really like you, but...but do you really think he likes me?" She asked him, touching his shoulder.

"I'm pretty damn sure he does, Misty."

"If you knew all along, then why did you let our relationship happen?"

"Well you're a damn good kisser, and you're hot. I see what Ash likes in you. It's really no surprise."

Misty smiled, hugging Gary. She didn't say anything, but just pecked him on the cheek.

**-**

Fifteen minutes later, I was all geared up again. I set off down the stairs, Misty greeting me at the bottom. She was grinning. Without a word, she grabbed my hand. "Come on." She made sure that Pikachu was in front of us the whole time. No matter what age she was, Misty was always so protective. Even the way she held my hand was secure. I smiled as we kept walking down the busy street.

Even though loud, it seemed silent. Even though overrun, it seemed empty. Even though we were friends, it felt like more. So much more. I looked at Misty, who was looking straight ahead, completely zoned out. I rubbed her hand and kept walking. She smiled at me, guiding me to a small diner around the corner. I could feel the wind blow my hair around.

"Here we are," she turned to me. "The Orange Corphish."

"Looks cool," I said following her inside the neighborly diner.

"Two adults and a child, please," Misty told the hostess.

"Pika...," Pikachu glared at Misty.

"Chill out, Pikachu," I picked the yellow mouse up and held her. "You don't eat as much as I do anymore, anyway," Pikachu gave me the cold shoulder as I set her down.

"Follow me," the hostess said with our menus, sitting us down at a booth towards the end of the restaurant. Two kids, both younger then Misty and I by at least five years, pointed us out right away. They came right over to us, Pokeballs and pens in hand.

"Aren't you Ash Ketchum? The one who beat all the Pokemon Leagues? Can I have your autograph?" The little girl asked me, handing me the device and writing utensil. I smiled.

"Absolutely."

"And aren't you Misty, our gym leader?" The little boy asked, handing Misty a Pokeball and pen.

"Yes I am," she smiled, signing the Pokeball. "What Pokemon do you guys have?"

"I have a Lapras," the boy replied, a silly grin plastered to his face.

"And I have a Vulpix!" The little girl said excitedly. Misty nodded.

"Those are both really strong and beautiful Pokemon, guys. Lapras grow to be one of the strongest Pokemon I've ever seen, and Vulpix can evolve into Ninetails," she remarked.

"Mommy says I can evolve Vulpix as soon as she grows to be strong."

"That's a very smart idea! Then Vulpix can learn a lot of moves before evolving."

"Ash," the boy caught my attention. "What kind of Pokemon do you have?"

"I have a lot of different types. I think you've seen Corphish, Swellow, Sceptile, Donphan, and, of course, Pikachu," I smiled petting my Pokemon on the head. The kids' eyes sparkled.

"Wow!" They sang in unison, walking away.

"That was cool," I smiled at Misty. Pikachu was still a little angry at me, but I knew she would get over it.

"Yeah. I love to see that some kids are still interested in training," Misty said, taking a look through the menu. I did the same.

We decided on Ramen and water. She told me that The Orange Corphish had the best noodles. We talked idly until the hostess came over and we ordered our food. Pikachu was coloring intently on the kids menu. I smiled at her, but she didn't notice.

"What's up with you and Gary?" I asked her finally when the food arrived. She took a sip of her water.

"I broke up with him," she said. "Or he broke up with me...Well, I'm not exactly sure how it happened. But it did happen, I promise you." We laughed.

"So does that mean that you're free tonight?" I asked her, clasping my hands.

"All yours," Misty smiled. I returned the gesture, but Pikachu began to tap on my shoulder.

"Pika!" She squealed. Pikachu drew a make shift picture of Misty and I kissing. I could feel my face get hot as I grabbed the picture and crumpled it.

"_Don't ruin this._" I whispered through clenched teeth.

"Pi ka chu." _You're doing a good job of doing that yourself._

Pikachu began to laugh hysterically, and everyone looked over at us. I looked around, and on instinct, I grabbed the bottle of ketchup and handed it to her. She stopped laughing right away and began to eat the ketchup instead.

"Very crafty, Ash," Misty laughed. I was so relieved I had to laugh myself. Suddenly, I stopped laughing and I could feel my expression grow blank.

"I'm going to have to buy the ketchup now."


	3. inclination

It was sunset. Misty and I were sitting on a towel at the beach. We were talking about all the things we had missed in each other's lives for the past four years. In complete and udder honesty, I never felt closer to Misty before. She was so open to me. I knew that there was something different, though. She didn't smile like she used to. She used to be so happy, hiding her feelings with sarcasm. Now she's quiet, hiding her feelings with happiness. It worried me, wondering if Gary did lasting damage on her. I stared into her eyes. She was telling me about her last gym battle.

"His Ivysaur was no match for my Gyarados, especially when I - !"

"Misty, I love you." She looked at me. I knew it was sudden, but I couldn't hold it in anymore. I was ready to face rejection. Yet, her expression seemed to change completely. The silence was nerve wracking.

"Gary was right," she finally whispered. I wanted to question her, but I left it alone. Misty smiled. She was at a loss for words. Our eyes wouldn't break eye contact. I somehow found the courage to lean in...and kiss her. Our lips touched, and then locked. It was only for a few moments, but when we broke, Misty looked deeply into my eyes, as if searching for something. I stared back. "I love you, too, Ash."

Misty pounced on me, pushing me into the sand. She crawled on top of me, grabbed the collar of my vest, and kissed me again. Before I knew it, I could feel my tongue exploring her mouth. It felt almost natural.

Ten minutes later, I was chasing Misty back to her gym, Pikachu on my head. I don't remember exactly how it happened, but I do remember somewhat of her saying she wanted to show me something. "Misty, wait up!" I yelled, almost tripping over the sidewalk.

"No!" She yelled after me. "You speed up!" She teased, running faster. I groaned, forcing myself to run faster. All that swimming must've built lots of muscle in her legs, because I could barely keep up.

"Pika." _I told you._

"I guess you did, buddy," I panted. I finally saw the gym and slowed down to a jog. It reminded me so much of when we were younger. I was usually the one in front, though, so excited that we were nearing the next town. Now I was trailing behind. I chuckled and opened the doors to the gym. Misty was there to greet me.

"Come on, Slowpoke!" She said, taking my hand. Pikachu jumped off me with a jerk and looked at Misty and me. She wasn't even breathing heavily, and she was running. My pulse regulated again, at least. She pulled me up a flight stairs, but then stopped to stare at me. Before I knew it, I was tripping up the second flight, making out with Misty. I was holding her in my arms, playing with her hair. She was was trying to pull away from me to say something, but I took control. Instead she pointed.

I opened my eyes for just a moment to see where. The room where I had changed earlier. I remember seeing a picture of me in there. _It was me who damaged Misty. _I realized what was going to happen in that room. I felt my stomach leap into my throat, but I took a deep breath threw my nose. I shut the door behind me. And locked it.

**-**

I woke up late the next morning in a bed. There wasn't anyone next to me, but it was a bed for two. Light flooded the room through the bay window and the air had a musty smell to it. I remembered last night. I got feel my face get hot as I wondered where Misty went. I shut my eyes for a moment, and suddenly the door burst open.

"Do I look good?" Misty asked, Pikachu on her shoulder. She was in all my clothes. I lifted the duvet off me and saw I only had on boxers. I stared at her. She looked _hot_.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu shouted excitedly, as if she was on my shoulder.

"Actually, yeah," I said. It was really bizarre.

"Thank you," she smiled. She came over to where I was laying down and pecked me on the cheek. "I'll give you your clothes back so we can go somewhere."

"Yeah, that'd be nice," I said, returning her gesture. Misty stripped right in front of me, revealing a matching lace bra and panties, and put on her own clothes. Pikachu hopped onto the bed and licked my face. "Hey, buddy," I smiled, petting her.

Misty threw my clothes at me. "Up and at 'em," she teased. I got up and put my clothes on. She made the bed and then sat at the bay window. I sat next to her, pecking her on her lips, only once. Misty kept her eyes shut, as if wanting more, but then she just smiled. She looked at me. "I love you, Ash."

"I love you, too." I kissed her softly again, and then looked out the window. I was going to be leaving for Sinnoh in a couple days, but I couldn't tell Misty yet. _I can't hurt her again._

(Now, before I go any further, let me tell you how that was mistake number one. Never keep important information from girls like that. Especially ones you just had sex with the night before.)

"So what do you want to do today?" Misty asked me, putting her hands on my chest. "Want to go out to eat? The beach? Maybe I could teach you some dives..."

"Nah," I said quietly. I knew I shouldn't have said it, but I just really didn't feel like doing anything. I felt like lounging.

"Well, okay. You can come to my house, and we could watch the television or something," she said, laying her head on my chest. I began to mess around with her hair. It was so soft, but the smell of chlorine seemed to just be permanent.

"Sure, babe," I cooed, kissing her neck. Suddenly, I forgot what I wanted to do. I was too enveloped with Misty silky skin to think about Sinnoh. I had to call Brock, but I had to somehow escape Misty. Even though I knew how wrong that sounded, I had to get a chance.

"Let's go then," she smirked. _Dammit_, I thought, _just when I was beginning to get somewhere, too._

She escaped my grip and began to walk out the door, Pikachu following her closely. I sighed, grabbed my bag, and began to head down the stairs. Misty and Pikachu were waiting for me at the entrance to the gym. Pikachu jumped on top my shoulder as Misty locked the doors. At the dead end of the street was the Pokemon Center. I had to get there so I could call Brock. I thought fast.

"Hey, Misty," I said, wrapping my arms around her.

"Mmhmm," she reached up to kiss me, and I let her.

"I'll meet you at your place, okay? I have to check for a package my mom sent me." Not a lie. She made me new clothes for my trek, which I had on, but I didn't get my new hat yet. She smiled.

"Okay. But be quick!" She said as I head off to the Center. I nodded.

"Pikachu?" _What's up?_

"I have to call Brock."

"Pika pi." _Oh boy._

"Yeah, I know, buddy. Things will end up okay, though, alright?"

"Pi," Pikachu nodded.

_Okay, things are good with the Pokemon, so everything will turn out fine. _Heh. I was so dumb.

I opened the doors to the complex, being greeted by a Blissey and a frantic Nurse Joy. A little girl was bawling over her fainted Bellossom. I made a face and sat at one of the computer like screens, calling Brock. It rang a couple of times, but he picked up. He looked worn out, but I wasn't really interested in who or what he was doing.

"Ah, good. I'm glad you called, Ash," Brock said, smiling. "I'm ready when you are."

"Yeah, Brock, about that...," I began, taking my hat off and setting it on my lap. "I don't know if I'm going to Sinnoh."

"Family emergency?" He asked me coldly. I bit my lip and whispered into the cheap plastic phone so no one else could hear me. "When you say 'slept', I don't think you mean just lying next to her for the night, do you?"

"I think you know what I mean, Brocko." His expression was serious.

"This is not good, Ash. You do know that, right?"

"Well, of course I do. I know I didn't have to, and I shouldn't have, but it felt right. In a way," I finished, rubbing my eyes. I was still tired.

"Jesus. At least it was protected...right?" He looked me straight in the eye. _Dammit. _Brock could tell what I was thinking. "God damn it, Ash."

"I know, Brock, I know." I put my head in my hands. "I'm a hormonal sixteen year old boy, okay? I know I made a mistake. But it's not as bad as it sounds. We stopped, y'know?" I told him, lifting my head up.

"Before...?"

"Yeah. I think we're safe, but I just want to stick around, just in case."

"Makes sense, but I already got the tickets."

"Dammit. Well, I'll talk to her. I'm going to have to."

"Good luck with that," Brock scoffed. I stared at him.

"When is the ship taking off?"

"Tomorrow afternoon."

"Dammit, Brock, that doesn't give me much time."

"Yeah...Well, uh, anyway. I'll talk to you later...I think Ethan needs me...," rather abruptly, the screen went blank. Sighing, I hung up the phone.

_Yeah, I'm screwed._

I walked up to the counter, where Nurse Joy was returning from the back room. She came up to me, and immediately recognized my face. She smiled softly. "Hello, Mr. Ketchum. What can I do for you?"

"Hey, uh, do you have a package for me? From Delia Ketchum, please." She turned to the shelves behind her, scanning the boxes. Nurse Joy nodded when she saw the wrapped box. She pulled it out and handed it to me. I smiled.

"Here you go, Ash!"

"Thanks, Nurse Joy."

I sat over on a couch, setting the box on my lap. Pikachu jumped off my shoulder and sat next to me. She pointed to the package.

"Pika, pikachu?" _So you weren't lying?_

"I couldn't lie to Misty, Pikachu. You know that."

"Pika." _You've done it before._

I ignored her and began to open the box. My new hat was looking so pristine in its condition. I grinned toothily as I traded the one on my head for the newer, better one. Pikachu put my old hat on her head. I pet my Pokemon as she jumped back on my shoulder. On my way out the door, I threw out the box. Pikachu, hat still on her furry head, looked semi-content. Probably thinking about Misty and what I was about to do. I walked up the street and to Misty's house. I didn't bother knocking. She was in the kitchen cooking something. She could tell it was me without turning away.

"Hey, Ashy," she giggled as she finally turned around to see me, with my new Sinnoh hat. "You look _hot_."

"As do you," I hugged her as she walked over to me. Pikachu hopped on my head to avoid being crushed_._

"Pi ka chu." _Oh, boy. Here we go._

"I made us some sandwiches," she pulled away from me, going to pick some plates up from the counter top. "Ham and honey mustard." Misty set the plates on the table, gesturing me to sit down. I did as gestured to and handed Pikachu, whom was now on the floor, a piece of sandwich I ripped off. She ate it hungrily.

"Sounds good," I began to scarf it down. "But...we got to...talk, Misty...," I said between gulps. She giggled again. Ever since the night before, she seemed to be so out of character. It began to scare me.

"Slow down," she laughed. "If you don't, you're going to get hiccups!" I was already finished my sandwich, though, and putting my dish in the sink.

"Yeah, but anyway," I dismissed her warning, "we have to talk."

"About?"

"I'm going to Sinnoh tomorrow, Misty." She bit her sandwich, not showing the least bit of emotion. Going from giggly to...emotionless. That wasn't a good sign.

"I thought you were going to stay here...?"

"Believe me, I want to. But you know how you had to stop traveling to come back to the gym? Well, it's almost like the complete opposite with me," I countered. Mistake number two was bringing her into something that was obviously my fault.

"But, Ash...," she didn't know what to say. "I...I guess it's for the best," she reckoned. "Yeah, you should go. I'll be okay. But...don't forget me, alright?" She stood up from where she was sitting and walked over to me. We kissed gently. I gave her a reassuring smile.

"Babe, I'll never forget you."

* * *

Hmm...didn't really like this one. I don't know why. "/ What do you guys think? Well anyway, Misty was a bit OOC here, but I had an excuse for it, and Ash points it out, too. ^.^; Oh, and I want to let you guys know that next chapter will be in Misty's POV. Ash is leaving for Sinnoh, and it's like her take on it and stuff. Just wanted to let you guys know. OH! And there's only two more chapters left. ;_; The next one will be decent length, but the last one will be like less then 1000 words. Well, as I am taking up a ton of space, I'll let you guys go. Later~


	4. abandonment

**POV - MISTY**

It was barely five in the morning. We slept in separate beds– and separate rooms, for that matter – the night before to avoid anything from happening again. Ash thinks of it as an accident, but we both know it was what we wanted. He came into my room – he was sleeping in Daisy's old room – and kissed the top of my head to wake me up. I rubbed my eyes and sat up. He was smiling softly, and I think I sensed some remorse. We didn't say anything for a long time, but sat there, taking everything in. I finally broke the silence.

"I'm going to miss you, Ash. It's going to be so different without you."

"Trust me, Misty. I'm going to miss you, too," he promised, kissing me gently. I could tell he was still new to the whole relationship concept by the way he moved. I dismissed it quickly, however, because I just so hungry for him. I think it was obvious because Ash kissed me again. "...I have to go."

I bit my lip and stared into his deep, dark eyes. They masked all feeling, assuring that I wouldn't be able to see if he was lying or not. I decided to just trust my boyfriend because I was just too God damn tired think, let alone to do anything else. We stared for another couple moments.

"Don't forget me, kid," I teased. It was fitting, as I was two years older then him. He chuckled.

"It'll be hard," he smiled at me, kissing me one last time. I wish I could've just kept him with me, but I knew that I couldn't just pull him away from Sinnoh. He would be heart broken. Besides, I stopped traveling to take care of this, even though I love it, damn gym. Why should he stop doing what he loves to come back here, too? I just couldn't do it to Ash. He was always there for me. I had to learn to stop being so dependent. He smiled at me when he walked out the door.

_I love you, Ash. Even though I tell you it, I mean it. I really, honestly do._

I was going to tell him that out loud, but he was already gone. I could hear him talking to Pikachu. Probably scolding her. I could tell Pikachu was right outside the door from her constant giggling. I smirked, falling back onto the soft pillows under me and fell back asleep.

When I came to, it was late in the afternoon. I don't know how, but I could just tell. I picked myself up from out of bed and headed downstairs, a little depressed with Ash's leave. I knew things wouldn't get that lonely, or even out of hand. I had been taking care of myself all that time, anyway, hadn't I? I fixed my hair on the way down the steps. Things would be weird no matter what. It always was, now that my 'Sensational Sisters' were all busy with contests, ribbons, and the ridiculous and frilly...fru fru. I stuck my tongue out in disgust as I just thought about it. I settled my disgust with a glass of milk.

But the deeper I thought, the more I thought that things actually may just get out of hand. No matter how hard I tried to ignore it, my gut was persuading me to bail out now and go find Ash. And of course, I dismissed the feeling and continued drinking my milk.

**1 MONTH LATER**

I was so sick. For the past two weeks or so, I had had some sort of bug. I was constantly hovering over the toilet or a trash can, puking my insides out. The strange part; I had skipped my period. My first thought, _of course_, was that maybe my cycle just got screwed up or something. The stranger part; by the afternoon, my problems with barfing were gone. But the next morning I would be sick again. It took me two and a half weeks to figure out that I didn't have a bug. I mean, I couldn't have been _pregnant_, right? Thinking over it numerous times, I began to immediately head down the street to the mart. I grabbed the first test I saw and bought it, running back home. I began to pray that I was wrong, that I wasn't pregnant. I entered my house, locking the door behind me. I jumped up the stairs two at a time, ducking into the bathroom.

Five minutes later, the stick was in my hand. I kept shaking it, trying to erase the demonic little plus sign. Tears were streaming my face. I scavenged the house for another one. The first place that came to mind was Daisy's room. Knowing her, she probably had at least five. I ripped open her dresser, moving aside an ancient bra that she probably could never fit. Sitting on top of different articles of clothing was the stick-in-a-box. I grabbed it, running back into the bathroom.

_Come on. Come on. _I chanted to myself as adrenaline began to rush through my body, making my eyesight blurry and my hands bipolar. I paced around the house while waiting for the digital sign to clear up. I was just thinking about how stupid I was. But what was I supposed to know? I didn't know anybody that got pregnant from having sex once. And I thought that we had it 'timed' pretty well. I sat against the wall across from the bathroom. I looked down, noticing that it finally appeared.

And no matter how hard I shook the test, I was pregnant.

I couldn't call anybody. I probably couldn't even continue being a gym leader like this. I couldn't...just tell Ash and force him to come back home. I had to keep it secret. I would have to just surrender my duty as Cerulean City Gym leader, I guess. I just couldn't have anyone untrustworthy knowing. I felt more tears pour out of my eyes. In complete, total, and utter honesty, I was screwed. Completely, totally, utterly _screwed_.

I began to think. Isn't it so ironic that it takes you a lifetime to build yourself up, but only ten minutes to tear yourself apart? That's what happened to me. Ten minutes is all it takes. I put my head in my hands, wondering what Ash was doing. He was probably meeting new people already, captured a plethora of Pokemon, and had at least one gym badge. But that's Ash. Carefree, determined, fast-living Ash.

My thigh began to vibrate. I was getting a call. I dug my cell phone out of my pocket. I looked a mess, but I could just say that I stubbed my toe or...cut off my finger. _Yeah, that'll work._

The call was from a Pokemon Center in a town called Oreburgh City. I guessed it was either Ash or Gary. "Hey," I said as I picked up the phone. It gasped. It wasn't Ash _or_ Gary.

It was Brock.

"Misty! Are you okay?" Brock asked me nervously. He could see that my face was all red and my eyes blood shot.

"Yeah, I just um...cut my..." I could barely speak.

"You cut yourself...?" Brock panicked.

"No, no. I would never," I sighed. I failed at last minute excuses. I looked at him. "Provided that you already know what happened, I'm pregnant." I knew with no doubt that Ash called Brock when he went to go get his hat. The kid wasn't that smooth.

"Misty...you're kidding," he had nothing else to add.

"Yeah, Brock. Because I would really kid around about _this_," I felt my eyes well up again as I put the peed on stick in front of the screen. Brock waved me down.

"Okay, I get it! Put it down. Ash and Dawn are healing their Pokemon. I can't have you flashing that around."

"Dawn...?"

"Don't worry. She's just another ten year old girl. She doesn't even see people in a romantic way yet. Nothing to worry about."

"Oh. Like May?"

"Yeah. Dawn wants to be a coordinator, too."

"Ah, gotcha." _I never liked May. So chances are I won't like Dawn, either._

"So what are you going to do about your...erm...problem?"

"I have no idea, Brock. Have Ash call me in a couple days while I get everything sorted out, okay? I need to get my head straight." Brock nodded in acknowledgement. I heard Ash's voice in the background.

"Hey, Brocko, is that Misty? _Hi Misty!_" He yelled. I could see him begin to run over to the screen. Brock tried to stop him.

"Later, guys!" I hung up the phone so Ash wouldn't see me in this mess. I looked horrible, and I couldn't just drag my boyfriend back to Kanto when he arrives in a new region. That wouldn't be right. I sighed and put my cell phone back into my pocket.

I twiddled the plastic pregnancy test in my hands, not realizing what it was. When I saw the faint plus sign, I snapped it in half. I stood up, walked to the bathroom, and dropped the pieces of hard plastic into the trash can. Along with the rest of my life.

See, those were the times I wish I still had Togetic. I wouldn't be as lonely with Togetic following me like she used to. I had hatched an Azurill, but I haven't really had time to play with it ever since I was going out with Gary. I would have taught it how to battle some, but I just wasn't in the mood then.

I walked down the steps slowly and went outside. The sun made everything warmer, which was good. I head next door to the gym so I could challenge some trainers. A battle would be good, and maybe trainers will come if I opened the gym. I sighed as I unlocked the doors and took off the sign that said 'CLOSED'.

_Today I'm going to piss off some really hopeful trainers._

* * *

**Worst chapter I have**_ ever_ **written.**_ Ever. _**Next chapter will return to Ash's POV. Oh, can you guys tell me if I should change the ending? Or if I should change anything? Next chapter is the** _last one_ **(SADLY. ;_;) but I think the ending is pretty good. I think I started off strong and ended weakly. -_-; Anyway, the final chapter will be, I think, less then 1000 words. So beware.**


	5. emptiness

I never had anxiety when going to call someone. I would sit down nonchalantly, drop a call to my mom every once in a while to let her know how I was doing, and that was it. Or even Professor Oak. We'd talk about my Pokemon I left with him there, or even how my Pokedex was coming along. I was never anxious once when I made a phone call. This time it was different. I had called Misty plenty of times before, but I had never felt so nervous. Was it because she could be angry at me for leaving? Or possibly because we had...er, did..._It? _Then I thought the impossible...but it couldn't be. It was a fleeting thought, I promised myself. Nothing more. I swallowed as I sat on the rusted and deteriorated seat. Once again, I was facing the monitor, which would soon show the image of my girlfriend. The cold metal against my skin made me shiver. I felt as if I was facing death. _But it was only a fleeting thought._

I lifted the lump of plastic - referred to as a 'telephone' - to my ear. I almost dialed the number. I was so close, but I froze. I swallowed, knowing that no matter what was about to happen, I had to stay with her. _I'm not going to ditch her. My father did that to me, and I'm not doing it to her. No matter what happens, Misty will always be family, and I wouldn't be able to live without having her by my side. I can do this. She can do this. We'll do this. _I breathed deeply, slowly dialing the number. Thankfully, there was no rush. Brock and Dawn were exploring the new town, grabbing a bite to eat, and were going to catch up with me later. Then all too quickly, the phone came alive, ringing. It rang once...twice...

"Ash?"

Misty choked, her face appearing on screen. Her eyes were slightly puffy. She must've been crying. I stared at the screen, looking into her eyes. The tragedy was written all over them. I realized immediately it wasn't just a fleeting thought. This was for real. I was speechless, choking on air. I wanted to be there for her...the pain was so relevant in her eyes. I couldn't understand fully at the time, but I couldn't just ignore it either. She was hurt, and it was my fault. There was a long silence. Misty sobbed once. I wanted to hug her. Jesus, how I would've loved to hold her in my arms, her soft flesh against mine. I could feel tears coming, but I clenched my teeth to hold them back. Misty had tears streaking her face.

"I love you," I promised her, getting close to the screen. Her eyes were shaky. No matter how hard she tried to keep eye contact with me, she couldn't keep them in one place. I couldn't fight back the tears any longer. They fell down my face and dropped onto the desk. Misty huffed. "Tell me, Mist...are you...pregnant...?" I struggled to get the words out. There was another silence. Besides Misty's sobs, my heart's thumping was the only other sound.

I counted the seconds. It took eighty-three seconds. One minute and twenty-three seconds. That was too many seconds. I took a deep breath every ten. My heart couldn't calm down. It was preparing for the worst, and the worst was about to come. I knew she was pregnant, but I had to hear it from her mouth, with her words. Suddenly, after nearly an eternity, the sobbing from the other end seized. I lifted my head to see Misty shaking helplessly and unable to stop.

"...Ash...Ash, I'm pregnant...I'm pregnant..." she cried. "I'm pregnant..." She continually repeated, as if she still couldn't believe it herself, or even as if she thought it was her fault. I felt my heart sink. I just destroyed her life, and she was taking it to herself. Tears trickled down my face faster now, in streams. Suddenly, everything seemed to fade away. The room around seemed to just disappear. I was oblivious to all sound but Misty's quiet, trembling voice. "I love you, Ash...I love you..." Someone could have came over to me and knocked me over the head with a book, and I wouldn't have noticed. I began to stop crying, when, before I knew it, I felt like I was reduced to a ten year old again. Both Misty and I were seemingly shorter, and I could just imagine her in my arms...crying. We needed each other so badly then, but I wasn't there. I realized my third and final mistake. I wanted her. I wanted the baby. I wanted a family. But I wasn't there.

_I wasn't there._

**THE END**

* * *

**Guys! You said you wanted more, right? Well that's what you're going to get! Just not here. ^.^; Starting really soon, there's going to be a continuation. While Ash is in Sinnoh, Misty is pregnant. So Misty is going to have a journal sort of thing. So about once or twice a week I'll post a little something in Misty's perspective. BUT! that is only the middle ground! The REAL sequel to this story is Degradation. Eleven years later, when Ash's kid is eleven. Read it, love it, review it. Degradation is ALREADY UP, guys! Check out my profile, which has all the dates I'm going to update, and click on Degradation. There's already four chapters! Alrighty then, this is Kelsey-Mae Copeland, signing out!**

/kelsey-mae


End file.
